The Deal I'm Making
by Everything-In-Focus-94
Summary: Sequel to Breaking All The Rules, Merlin is heart-broken at the loss of Hermione. But Nimueh tells him a startling truth and offers to send him to the future. What happens when he arrives and can he abandon his destiny for another chance at love?


The Deal I'm Making

The young man walked into the clearing, body still dripping in the blood that Hermione had spilt. The blood she had spilt to save him. The blood that- _Hermione..._

He frowned and looked into the clearing. A black mist circled around him, reflecting the black mood that he was feeling at this point.

"I know your here!" he called into the darkness. His heart pounded in his chest and the sensible side to him told him to run but the part that Hermione had governed in her short time in his world reminded why he was here and kept his feet firmly on the ground.

The black smoke swirled and a woman appeared in a swish of a black smoke. Her hair fell forward over the hood that had fallen back from the gust of wind her appearance had created. A black mask covered half her face but the boy would know her anywhere.

"Hello Nimueh" he whispered. The woman smiled, her lips curving at the corners her eyes staying steely cold and fixed on him.

"Merlin" she hissed, her voice like a snakes, sending shivers down Merlin's spine.

"You know why I've come" he called to her, his voice shaking half from fear, half from the cold breeze that whipped around him. Nimueh cackled and twirled around, the cloak disappearing into smoke as it span. Suddenly she was directly in front of him, her long fingers cupping his chin and her nails digging into his cheek. He brushed her off and she laughed shrilly before disappearing again.

Merlin span around, his eyes looking searching for the slight variation in darkness that gave away where Nimueh was about to appear.

"No my dear child I don't know why your here" her voice whispered in Merlin's ear. He span again and found nothing but air behind him. Merlin swallowed.

"Enough games Nimueh! Reveal yourself!" he shouted. Nimueh cackled again, the twisting smoke became solid on a low platform and Nimueh sat crossed legged, staring down at Merlin.

"Oh does Merlin not like my new party trick" she lisped, pouting her lip. Merlin glared at her.

"As I was saying before you so _rudely _interrupted, I _don't _know why your here... but I can guess. It's to do with that devastatingly beautiful witch that captured your heart oh so recently. Am I correct? The woman who's bloods on your hands?" she whispered, her voice being carried by the wind. Merlin looked down at his hands, the rusty red colour of dried blood spattered with flesh coloured spots where the tears had washed away the blood.

"You can bring her back." He murmured. He looked back at Nimueh.

"I've seen you do it before, you brought yourself back... and I'm willing to do anything." He whispered.

Nimueh raised her eyebrows.

"Hmmm... Merlin, a interesting proposition. It's a shame that any spell to raise the dead would not work" she lisped shrugging her shoulders.

Merlin roared and thunder flashed on the rock, as Merlin's eyes turned golden. As the smoke cleared Nimueh reappeared before him. She raised a finger and moved it back and forth tutting.

"Temper, temper Merlin. You interrupted me again. I said that any spell to raise the dead would not work... because that would mean that she _is _dead." She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Merlin's heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened.

"Not... dead. But her body is lying in Gaius's office... she's dead" he stammered.

Nimueh shrugged.

"Well if you want her to be dead so much, I suppose I'll leave you to it" she said, twirling on the spot.

"WAIT!" Merlin shrieked. Thunder and lightning crackled above the pair, and the raw magic and emotions he was displaying. Nimueh stopped and smiled at him.

"Aha – once again I am left to explain. You see unbeknownst to the Dark Lord, it wasn't Miss Granger's body that travelled here, merely an identical shell that contained her soul and when the _shell _stopped beating... Well she would be transported back to her own time, her job done. So you see my boy, all I need to do is send you into the future... But the bigger question is, what do I want in return?" she said placing a finger to her lips in mock thought. She moved towards him.

"Well I suppose the thought of Camelot left defenceless with you in the future is intriguing to say the least but alas this spell will not be permanent, so not really fair on my part. Although... I suppose any time Camelot's left defenceless is good in my books. So we have a deal Merlin." She said sticking her hand out.

Merlin paused staring at her hand, long nails twitching in anticipation and the sly smile on Nimueh's face.

"What is my end of the deal Nimueh. Don't play games, you'll do something whilst I'm gone. Something's going on" he said, sticking his hand behind his back. Nimueh gasped dramatically.

"I'm ashamed that a fellow warlock would accuse me of playing games Merlin. Nothing is _going on_... As an act of good faith, I'll line the transportation spell with a secondary and your body will land in Gaius's office- in your bedroom if my aims good enough. And as I said the spell will be temporary, 14 days in the future, then back to Camelot. Your body will be away from me and _safe _as you would see it. It will appear to be deathly ill to anyone who sees you, so you will not arouse suspicion and you will be with your beloved again. Anything that happens in those 14 days will merely be a side effect. _So do we have a deal Merlin?" _she repeated, her voice lined thick with impatience and a slight sneer on her lips.

Merlin stayed still and just looked at Nimueh.

"Why would you do this Nimueh? We're mortal enemies but somehow I know your not going to attack Camelot whilst I'm gone... You're doing this for another reason. Why?" he said accusingly. He was shocked to see her face fall and tears fill in her eyes.

"Why am I doing this?" she sighed. "I'm doing this because I know how rare it is for two... people like us to find one another and have a connection as you did. I also know what it's like to lose someone. Why do you think I really hate Uther... I'm sure you need no further explanation." She said softly.

Merlin's heart broke for her. Beneath her stony exterior she did have a heart and it had broken making her like this. He would give anything for a chance to see Hermione again and from the way she had just spoken, so would Nimueh for the person she had just spoken about. He had never really thought about her back-story before.

He stuck his hand out to a teary eyed Nimueh. She blinked and gave him the first true smile she had ever given him.

"I do wish you happiness Merlin. I don't hate you, I hate Uther and really I never should have taken it out on you... I apologise." She whispered.

With that she grasped his outstretched hand and pulled him towards her. Her lips brushed his cheek and she whispered her blessings into his ear. She released him and smiled as Merlin's eyes closed and in a blinding white light Merlin collapsed and disappeared.


End file.
